GeorgeofNE

Dogs, like spoiled children, will whine 1) for attention, 2) to hear the sound of their own voice, 3) to get a reaction (and other, legitimate reasons, which clearly this isn't). As with children, I think the only way to nip this in the bud is to totally ignore it, as hard as that is. Any reaction is likely to encourage the behavior. We had a whiner--an English Setter. It was my father's fault. The dog would lay next to Dad's recliner, and Dad would pet his head. When Dad stopped, Davy whined. Dad would resume petting. When my father's Alzheimer's had advanced to the point where he couldn't make that mental connection, the whining got totally out of control. Sadly, Dad later became somewhat aggressive with his desire to always know where the dog was, and the dog started to hide from him, which was heartbreaking and really totally unrelated to your issue--sorry. So, my suggestion, as hard as it will be, is totally ignore the whining. It may take a while, but he's very young, and if you don't stop it now, you have a lot of years of whining ahead of you!

It makes me very, very sad to think you would consider euthanizing this dog in this situation. I believe that your obligation is to return her to the group and let THEM decide. Many people, like me, only have one dog at a time. She doesn't need to die. I'm terribly sorry you have experienced this, truly. Please contact the group ASAP.

Walking a large dog with a harness is, in my personal opinion, just teaching the dog how easy it is to drag a human. There is a reason sled dogs and draft dogs use harnesses--because a harness makes it easier to pull. A spooky dog needs a harness, for sure. But only to keep it from escaping. A properly fitted martingale will tighten but not choke. A dog with half a brain will not cause himself discomfort and will tend to stop pulling when he feels the discomfort of a tightening collar. Many people do not know how a collar is supposed to fit. Your tag collar can hang down on the neck near the shoulders, but your martingale should be up under the chin. This is a classic example of don't believe everything you hear. I was told that greyhounds don't sit because they use electric cattle prods on them at the track. This is as true as that!

Well, this isn't really an issue specific to greyhounds so much as dogs in general. Many greyhounds cannot swim well, so a lifejacket would be needed. They are also relatively intolerant to heat, so you would need to take that into account. And you would need one with a low prey drive so that it would not be tempted to disembark and go after shore birds, etc. The one and only time we took our female English Setter (a hunting breed) on our boat, she saw birds in the water and walked right over the edge after them, unaware she could not walk on water! As it was November on Nantucket, we were desperate to get her back on board. Wasn't easy--I ended up grabbing a few ha!dfulls of her fur and skin and just yanking her on board. She never went near water again in her life!

The muzzle should not be used as punishment. It's for protection. She isn't a six year old that understands being "sent to bed" is a punishment. She is very used to it, unless she isn't an NGA greyhound, so don't let her fool you. You CAN prevent her from getting on the furniture when you aren't home if you block her out of the room the couch is in, or cover the couch with stuff--

Age is not a disease. And 11 isn't that old. A dog with arthritic changes actually NEED regular, gentle exercise. Just as with people, while those of us who suffer with joint pain tend to WANT to do nothing, the more we do nothing, the worse the pain and stiffness gets. And you tend to gain weight when you do nothing, which makes the joint problems worse! Get her on a regular schedule of leash walks. Consider changing NSAIDs (maybe Rimadyl isn't it for her). If her tail is painful, get the amp. taken care of. Older dogs are more work, yes, but it doesn't mean her life isn't worth living if she's slowing down a bit!

I'd have her treated for a UTI regardless of the results of the urine test. Sound like classic symptoms to me. I agree--this is a medical issue.

Grain free is the newest fad in dog food. No reason to think your dog needs grain free food. Normally, adopters are advised to continue feeding the exact same kibble that the dog was eating in the kennel, if known. Otherwise, it's a it of trial and error. Adding canned pumpkin to the food can help firm them up.

I believe you can only post pictures in "cute and funny" when you're a new member. You can read how to in the many threads in "technical questions about greytalk" forum.

From what I understand, that's not how osteo presents--the squishy lump. Doesn't mean the LIMP isn't osteo--definitely off to the vet for x-rays. Good luck!

I can't believe no one has suggested a belly band! I would absolutely ask your friend to have him wear one, or leave him at home.

No need to wait.

Poor puppy.

Yes. Open stairs are much more difficult. They're scary. Can you try taping cardboard over the open sections and get him used to them? Then gradually remove the cardboard? He'll figure it out, he just needs some time.

Have you considered ear plugs? Seriously! I think you'll get used to the noises of a dog moving, but ear plugs might help. And the white noise machine too. I sleep with one of those. I bet you can buy inexpensive ear plugs at any drugstore. Maybe worth a try??

She wants to sleep with you! I would caution you on using pee pads for a healthy young dog. She needs to be taken out at least four times a day, and beyond that, she should be able to hold it. It will be very difficult to talk her out of peeing in the house if you teach her it is ok. As to the whining--i couldnt sleep without my dog on my bed. I actually bought a queen to accomadate my first greyhound and me. But if you don't want her up there, but a nice comfy bed in your room, perhaps at the foot of your bed, and teach her "go to bed" and every single time she tries to get on the bed, repeat. With time she will catch on.

Yes, the professional greyhound trainers/owners on Facebook all say they never in their lives have said "kennel up." That appears to be an adopter myth. I've always used "hup" myself. I don't even remember why....

Buy "I'll Be Home Soon" by Patricia McConnell and get working on alone training. Also, get him as much exercise as you possibly can. I don't mean time outside in the yard. I mean actual exercise--walk his butt off on a leash, throw a toy he'll chase, lure pole. Anything. The more tired you get him, the less likely he'll be to stress while you're gone. Time and patience are required with a dog who has S.A.

Stop putting her in the crate. Sometimes the most obvious answer is the correct answer. Truthfully, dogs want to sleep where their people are. But if that's really not in the cards, you're going to have to let her get used to being alone. Remember: she's never been alone at night in her entire life. She also KNOWS you're in the bedroom, and that's where she wants to be. When she barks, you can try putting her on a leash, taking her outside briefly, saying only things like "let's go potty." If she doesn't have to go, right back inside, back in the crate, and go back to bed. Don't give her ANY attention whatsoever beyond that. Eventually she'll learn that barking doesn't get her anything. If she's housebroken at this point, why do you feel she needs to be in a crate? She probably won't be as noisy if she's not, although I can imagine her whining outside your bedroom door! I couldn't sleep if my dog WASN'T in the room with me. It's the kind of noise you get used to--he's my family, and I like knowing he's right with me. But of course that really is up to you!

Well, what's your question? Is it normal? Yes. Dogs pant it they are too warm, obviously. They also pant (sometimes) if they're either excited or nervous. Is there anything you can do about it? Only if the dog is panting because it's hot--stop taking the dog in a hot car. If it's for the other reasons, no, there probably isn't, except getting the dog more accustomed to riding in the car.

I tried a baby gate for my crate hating dog. I gave him my HUGE bedroom, a pretty big hallway, and a bathroom. I set the gate up from the floor about 8 inches so my cats could go under it. When I got home, the dog was on the wrong side of the gate and I assumed he jumped it (it was a 4 foot tall gate, set 8 inches from the ground, so I was reasonably impressed) until I saw claw marks in the carpet. He army crawled UNDER the gate!!! That's when I knew he just couldn't deal with confinement.

No suggestions because of your back. At 50 pounds, I'd just keep putting her in, but those foam steps would probably work. It would be easier, anyway, to get her front legs on the bottom step, the next step,etc. Did I ever tell you that George once jumped into my CR-V via the tailgate WINDOW?? I hadn't yet opened the tailgate door (which on my model opened like a book), and I was talking to someone, and I felt the leash move, and when I looked, he was in the car! Well done George, well done!

I tried a Seresto collar; my vet says Buck is the first dog in their practice to get fleas while wearing it! Truthfully, I think I brought home some hitchhikers from SC. I use Nexguard, and he hasn't had a flea or tick all summer.

My first greyhound HATED non greyhounds. It really wasn't a problem for me, as I detest it when people I don't know, with dogs I don't know, think it's a great idea to allow our two leashed dogs to mix and mingle. It's going to be much easier for you to avoid these interactions then it will be for her to "get over it." She could be like George, known as a "greyhound snob," or it could be a leash aggression thing where she is fearful because she's on a leash and feels trapped. Either way, it's far simpler to just wave and say, "Sorry, she's not friendly" and go on your way.

Thank you for clarifying. Well, this is just my 2 cents--this is not a good fit. Not because it's a greyhound. Because it's a puppy and its owner does not have the kind of life and schedule that is conducive to having a puppy. It's going to need a lot of time, attention, and training for close to two years. Thank you to your son for serving as a police officer, but a demanding job like that, with I imagine irregular hours, a puppy just might not work. Do you know what made him want a greyhound? If he's looking for quite companionship after work, he might consider returning the pup and adopting and adult retired racer.